With the National Hockey League roster freeze upon us, we can see some teams trying to find some solutions and bringing in players to their roster. Meanwhile, other teams choose to add to an already bright future.

What do I mean you ask? Let me answer that for you.

Today the Phoenix Coyotes were able to solidify a spot on their blue line by signing free agent veteran blue liner Anders Eriksson to finish out the rest of the year (barring injury) with the big club.

In order to fit Eriksson in to the mix, the Coyotes subsequently assigned David Schlemko to the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage.

Eriksson scored a goal and chipped in two assists in his eight games with San Antonio. Previous to this year, he has appeared in 552 NHL games with six teams, compiling 22 goals and 149 assists over parts of 11 seasons.

With the Coyotes excellent start to the season, it seems to me that they feel the playoffs are a reality. By signing Eriksson, the team adds another veteran to the blue line, one which already accommodates Ed Jovanovski, Adrian Aucoin and James Vandermeer.